A greens mower is a specialized piece of equipment utilized exclusively in maintaining the necessary close cutting and trimming of golf greens. As such, the mower has precision settings which must be maintained as the mower is moved from one green to another.
The transport of a mower between greens is normally provided for in either of two ways. In one case, the greens mower is typically provided with a pair of oppositely extending stub wheel shafts upon which a pair of removable transport wheels are mounted to allow for a direct driving of the mower across the fairways to the next green. This is rather slow in that the mower can only be moved at the actual speed of the mower itself. Also, the mower is necessarily rather roughly handled, resulting in a tendency to affect the precision settings desired. The mounting and removal of the transport wheels is also a rather time-consuming task.
As an alternative to a direct driving of the mower between the greens, it has also been proposed to utilize carts upon which the mower can be loaded and carried between the greens. However, the use of such carts in the past has also given rise to problems. More specifically, the loading of a mower on such a cart can be quite difficult, and frequently requires two persons to physically lift the mower onto the cart. As operation of the mower requires only a single person, the necessity for a second person merely to assist in loading and unloading the mower is clearly not a desirable feature. Also, while transport of the mower by a cart or trailer, as opposed to use of the mower""s own transport wheels, is faster and more efficient, substantial problems with regard to maintaining the precision settings of the mower are still present in view of vibration and physical movement of the mower which normally freely sits on the trailer bed.
The present invention is directed to a mower cart or trailer, and has for its principal objects the provision of such a cart which enables the loading and unloading of a mower by one person with the loaded mower being automatically stabilized in position in a manner which minimizes vibration and movement during transport.
More particularly, the cart of the invention basically includes a wheeled frame with a tilting cart bed mounted on the frame for movement between a rearwardly inclined loading position and a forwardly pivoted, horizontal loaded position. In the loading position, the trailer is in fact self-loading in that the mower can be forwardly propelled directly onto the tilted bed. As the mower moves forward on the bed to its loaded position, the bed will, under the weight of the mower, pivot downwardly into its loaded position. As the bed assumes its loaded position, an upwardly extending locking tongue fixed to the frame is accommodated through a corresponding slot in the lowering bed and engages behind a component of the mower, for example the forward roller, to preclude rearward movement of the mower relative to the horizontal bed, thus locking the mower on the cart. At the same time, the bed or a support component thereon automatically locks to the wheeled frame to fix the bed in its loaded position.
During the loading of the mower on the tilted bed, movement of the mower is guided by the mower wheel shafts engaged in opposed guide rails or tracks which are cushioned and function not only to guide the loading mower, but also to cushion and stabilize the mower when loaded.
Other objects, feature and details of the invention will become apparent from the following more specific description of the invention.